Jefferson East Elementary School fire, heavy smoke damage

Jefferson East Elementary School fire

A fire at Jefferson East Elementary School early Tuesday morning meant no classes for students. The fire chief said it started in a basement generator room.

JEFFERSON, Wis. - A fire at Jefferson East Elementary School early Tuesday morning meant no classes for students.

The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office said a fire started in the basement of the school. The Jefferson Fire Department said the first floor of the school had heavy smoke damage.

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"The fire is in the generator room, so there's an emergency generator for this building, backup power, and the fire was clearly in and around the generator," said Jefferson Fire Chief Ron Wegner.

What caused the fire remains under investigation. Crews are working in the school throughout Tuesday to clear out the smoke.

Fire at Jefferson East Elementary School (Courtesy: WMTV)

In a Facebook post, the School District of Jefferson announced East Elementary students will be temporarily moved to other district schools to continue learning on Wednesday, Sept. 18. Those temporary placements are expected to continue through Friday, Sept. 27 with hopes to have East Elementary open as usual come Tuesday, Oct. 1.